Despite its inherently cruel nature, bullfighting is still considered a “tradition” and a form of popular entertainment in Spain, Portugal, and elsewhere.

The practice is inhumane from beginning to end, even prior to the steer’s entrance in the fighting ring.

About two days before the actual fight, a bull is tormented and tortured to weaken him, leaving him very little chance to effectively defend himself against the matador during the fight, who stabs him with long harpoons until eventually a sword is driven into his heart.

This type of spectacle, based more in dominance than tradition, has recently been denounced by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child as going against the rights of children.

The committee has recommended that children should not “attend or participate in bullfighting events because of their extreme violence,” as PETA UK reports.

This is the UN’s first major decision on the matter since the committee has begun analyzing “whether bullfighting countries respect the Rights of the Child,” which are universal values applicable to all the world’s countries, according to CAS International.

The committee’s statement is in reference to Portugal in particular, which was the first county examined by the committee that allows children to attend fights and bullfighting schools.

Yet, the UN’s announcement has more profound implications as it publicly shows that bullfighting needs to be looked at more closely, especially in terms of how it can contribute to desensitizing people to animal abuse. The statement is a step in the right direction, and is a welcomed start to a hopefully effective study on the true nature of bullfighting.

Image source: Foundation Franz Weber